


and darling, you can share it all with me

by SaraJaye



Series: LeoNiles Week 2018 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Developing Relationship, Fluff, Holding Hands, LeoNiles Week 2018, M/M, Pre-Slash, Stargazing, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-25
Packaged: 2019-07-02 03:56:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15788454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SaraJaye/pseuds/SaraJaye
Summary: Niles often disappears for a few hours on certain nights, and Leo is curious. One night, Niles indulges that curiosity.





	and darling, you can share it all with me

**Author's Note:**

> day 2 - stargazing

After nearly a year of having Niles as his retainer, he'd started to notice new, little things about him every day. How he'd shield his plate with his arm during meals, even though nobody had any interest in stealing his food. How he always asked Leo to turn away if they changed in the same room. How he always went over a word three times during reading lessons, as though he was second-guessing himself even for words he knew.

But most of all, on especially clear nights, Niles would disappear for an hour or two. He always came back safe, so Leo knew he wasn't up to anything dangerous. Training, he'd thought at first, until he saw Niles had left his bow and arrows behind.

A pattern he noticed was that half the time, Niles would seem on edge and snippy before he left, only to come back smiling and much calmer. It was less worrying and more curious, but Leo's curiosity was starting to get the better of him, to the point where he'd have to stop himself from following Niles on these nights. Invasion of others' privacy was shameful, not to mention hypocritical; he knew he would be irritated if someone decided to follow _him_ to a secret spot.

Tonight, he was set to bury himself in his studies. Niles had seemed out of sorts today and it _was_ a beautiful night, so he was likely to disappear for the usual hour. _I will not follow. It's his business, and his alone._

"Milord."

"Ah, Niles." Leo put down the book he'd been about to open. "I'll see you later, I suppose?"

"Actually, milord," Niles said slowly, almost bashfully, "I was wondering if you would join me tonight." Leo blinked.

"Oh...? I assumed such trips of yours were private. Are you sure?" Niles nodded.

"I feel kinda bad, a retainer shouldn't keep so many secrets from his prince. Besides, it's too good to keep this to myself anymore," he said. He took Leo's hand, helping him up, and Leo felt a prickle of heat creep to his cheeks. "Shall we?" Leo smiled.

"If that's how you feel, then I would be honored."

Niles led him down the back hall of the castle, past the servants' quarters and the kitchens, towards the back gardens. But rather than taking him directly into the gardens, he gestured towards a small door.

"It's a little higher up, but not like, sky high. You don't mind heights, right?" Leo shook his head.

"Camilla has taken me flying before," he said as they slipped through the door and along a narrow path. Despite Leo finding the darkness far more comforting than the light, he found himself taking Niles's hand anyway. Niles turned for a moment to give him a curious look, but showed no signs of letting go ot asking Leo to do the same.

The path led to a hill Leo had been aware of, but never actually come this close to. It was quite high, not as high as a flight on Marzia, but enough to make Krackenburg look tiny once they were at the top.

"Here. Look up," Niles said, and Leo was greeted by the sight of a waxing moon and an endless array of stars. The view from his window was so limited, and on the nights he was away from the castle on patrol he'd never had time for such things; seeing the night sky so unobscured was _thrilling._ Almost humbling.

"It's incredible. So this is where you go at night," he murmured. Niles grinned.

"Been a hobby of mine since I was a kid. The one nice thing about not having a home was being able to look at the stars after a shitty day," he said. "Still is, even now." He let go of Leo's hand to wrap an arm around him, and the heat from earlier crept back to Leo's cheeks and spread to his ears. "I thought it was time I shared such a beautiful view with my favorite person."

"Ah..." Leo turned away for a moment, his heart skipping a beat or two. "I'm honored, really. This does seem like a wonderful way to relax." He leaned into Niles. "I can make out some of the constellations tonight."

"Yeah, I've heard of those things," Niles said. "You'll have to teach me about them sometime."

"Sometime, yes. Tonight...let's just enjoy the view."

He leaned further into the man he grew closer and closer with by the day, letting the beauty of the night settle over him.


End file.
